From the first century until now, weak churches have been prone to falling away.

Their demise seems to occur

when spiritual leaders surrender to popular whims, exchanging the truth for a lie.

Well today on Insight for Living, Chuck Wendahl continues his teaching series called Tough Grace in

difficult places.

In this next study, Chuck will point to the parallel between the first century culture and our own.

False teachers were twisting the truth, so Paul warned Titus to guard his flock from the wolves.

Chuck titled today's message,

Dealing with the difficult and dangerous. We are working our way through the letter from Paul to Titus.

Titus, you remember, was left on the island of Crete where according to chapter 1 verse 5 he

was to finish the things that had been started and he was to appoint spiritual leaders called elders in every city since the work to be

done would be done in difficult circumstances. Paul describes those difficulties beginning at verse 10.

For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision

who must be silenced

because they are upsetting whole families

teaching things they should not teach for the

sake of sordid gain.

One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars evil beasts lazy gluttons this

testimony is true for this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention

to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who

are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. But both their mind and their conscience are

defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. You're listening to Insight for Living.

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